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5 Beauty Treatments You Can Do At Home—And 5 You Should Leave to the Pros

By
Elise
Minton Tabin
, Executive Beauty Editor
| June 17, 2016

When it comes to
beauty treatments, there are plenty out there that beg the question, “Should I
do it myself?” Sure, there are some that are totally safe to do in the comforts
of your own home. And, there are others that you should only leave to an expert
for a multitude of reasons. Want to know what to do where? We’ve got all the answers right here.

DIY tools and devices have been a big category ever since they hit the beauty
scene simply because they’re convenient, easy to use and provide results. New York dermatologist Sejal Shah, MD, says that most LED treatments (which typically refer to red and/or blue light) can be used to help improve the appearance of wrinkles and aged skin, inflammation and acne. "They aren't as strong as an in-office light treatment, but they are a great adjunctive treatment to anything you might do at your doctor's office."

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DIY: Superlight At-Home Chemical Peels

We
are huge fans of over-the-counter ultra-light chemical peel products, like Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel Pads ($84), simply because they buff away dead skin and leave
the skin looking super healthy and with a natural glow. Montclair, NJ,
dermatologist Jeanine Downie, MD, explains that at home you should only use
superficial peels and nothing that’s deep and reserved for use by a
professional—even if you can buy it online—because they can lead to infections,
permanent discoloration and even scarring. “Weekly enzyme peels done to
maintain cell turnover and keep the pores clean are fairly safe,” says
celebrity aesthetician Joanna Vargas.

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DIY: Products and Treatments With Alphahydroxy Acids

The
word acid alone is enough to make some women scared to use products that
contain the ingredient. But, truth be told, treating your skin at home with
creams that contain alphahydroxyl acids like glycolic acid is totally fine.
“As long as what you are using is buffered (meaning it’s in cream form), isn’t
stronger than 10 percent and has a pH of 3.0 or higher, you can use it on a
daily basis,” says celebrity aesthetician Nerida Joy. “Anything unbuffered
(liquid and gels) that’s higher than 10 percent and with a low pH should only
be used in treatments performed by an aesthetician or dermatologist because they
know how to work with these types of products best.”

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DIY: Hair
Glosses

When
your color needs a quick refresher and you don’t have the time to make it to the
salon, an at-home hair gloss can be your saving grace. Amy Errett, founder of
Madison Reed hair color, says that glosses are a quick way to boost
color-treated hair, even though you may think of them as only being available at the salon. “Recent innovations bring this salon trick to an at-home
treatment to quickly and fearlessly enhance the hair’s tone and refresh color,”
she says. Products like Madison Reed Color Reviving Gloss ($30) take just 20 minutes
to amp up color-treated hair.

Even though you can exfoliate your skin at
home and treat it with masks, Janel Luu, CEO of LeMieux Cosmetics and PurErb skincare, says that you’re better off leaving this one to an expert.
“Extractions should be done by a professional instead of individuals picking at
their face with their fingers or using extractor instruments that they may not
be well-versed in.” Another reason to trust your facials to an expert: They can
professionally analyze your skin in a way that you can’t. New York aesthetician
Shellie Goldstein adds that a facialist can make the right product and
treatment recommendations. “And, vital facial steps, like deep exfoliation and
peels, can burn or scar your skin if you attempt to do it yourself.”

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Leave It to a Pro: Anything That’s Injected

Be it Botox, Dysport or Xeomin, a cortisone
injection to take down a pimple, lip fillers or anything else that involves a
needle, you always—and should only—seek out an expert. If you choose to take a
needle to your face for any reason at all, you’re only putting yourself in
danger—and on multiple levels. At-home injections consist of
nonFDA-approved materials that can cause major risks, deformities, infections
and even death. There’s no reason to even consider plumping your cheeks
yourself or trying DIY Botox. “I’ve had patients purchase toxins and fillers
from the Internet and have then had a cousin or their hairdresser inject them,”
says Dr. Downie. “I have seen disasters from this. Toxins and fillers are for
dermatologists and plastic surgeons to inject only and are not for the general
public to use as at-home treatments ever.”

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Leave It to a Pro: Microneedling

Microneedling is one of the most in demand
treatments at the moment. While there are plenty of at-home versions out there,
Nashville dermatologist Michael Gold, MD, says that there are so many
microneedling rollers that are sold on the Internet, which can cause
problems. “If you get something from a source that’s not reliable, you risk
having unsharp needles, the potential for sterility issues and a host other
concners. Microneedling pens shouldn’t be bought on the Internet for the same
reason.” Make sure you see a dermatologist or plastic surgeon for these
treatments who is well-versed in the procedure and understands how to properly
operate the device.

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Leave It to a Pro: Popping a Pimple

No matter how hard it may be to resist
popping a pimple at home, you shouldn’t do it no matter what. Dr. Shah explains that when you do, the pimple can become
worse rather than better. “You forcefully push the contents of the acne bump
out, which can also be damaging to the skin as it is basically tearing it while
increasing inflammation. Your dermatologist can safely and
gently perform an extraction to remove the contents. Or, you can get a steroid injection to reduce redness, inflammation and makes the bump smaller.”

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Leave It to a Pro: Major Color Changes

Achieving gorgeous color is tricky, which is
why anything that’s complicated, like balayage, ombré and even highlights,
should be done by someone who really knows what they are doing. Nicole Tresch,
colorist at Rita Hazan salon in New York, says bleach is one thing you
shouldn’t do yourself. “You want to have a colorist do your foils. If not, you
can have bleed marks and a stripey look, as well as breakage. Also, drastic color changes should only be done at the salon.”

1 Comment

Ella B.

Posted on June 22, 2016 11:18 AM

Regarding DIY at-home light treatments, I have an illuMask LED mask at home that I would love to try out to treat my adult acne (and wrinkles and inflammation, too, it seems!) but am hesitant as I’m worried about possible side-effects. Are there any dangers of using light to treat acne, such as scarring or sensitivity?

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